Commercial Meat Slicer Sharpening Guide: Step-By-Step Instructions

When it’s time to sharpen your commercial meat slicer there are a couple of things to remember to ensure safety and a great outcome, so hear me out before you go nuts!

In this article, I will walk you through all the steps needed to get that razor-sharp blade and what’s more important, how to do it with safety in mind! We all know those stories about slicing gone wrong, therefore you need to know everything before sharpening.

But before sharpening the actual blade, let’s see that you have everything you need with the help of this checklist.

Required Tools

Sharpening Stone

You might or might not need a sharpening stone for this because most of the meat sharpeners come with one specific to that model however, if you need one you can examine a selection from here.

Cut Proof Gloves

This is extremely important! Always wear cut-proof gloves preferably made from Stainless Steel Wire because a meat slicer is too powerful for other kinds of materials.

Don’t neglect this step or wear low-quality gloves because it could lead to permanent injuries and that isn’t something you should take a chance with.

Safety Goggles

Always wear Safety Goggles and if possible, wear ones that will protect around the eyes and not the regular plastic ones with minimal protection.

When sharpening the meat slicer’s blade, it will generate some sparks which are totally normal however those sparks are dangerous and you should always protect your precious sight when sparks are flying. Also sharpening will generate small metal dust from the honed blade which can fly to the eyes so that’s another reason why safety goggles are a must!

Washcloths

You will also need Soft Washcloths because if you use rough sponges or metal scrubbers that will scratch the surface, which will result in worse performance.

A scratched metal will also rust and weaken much faster so using soft washcloths will ultimately give more life years to your deli slicer.

Sanitizer

After sharpening the blade it will need sanitation with a Food Grade Sanitizer because well when sharpening a deli slicer blade with a stone that cuts ingredients and foods, you need to be sure that it’s safe to use one after sharpening.

Food Grade Lubricant

It’s ideal to add Lubricant after each sharpening session and even more regularly to cut down the maintenance needs and ensuring that your equipment will be in good condition much longer.

Your Meat Slicer Tools

Don’t forget the most important parts! Your deli slicers instruction manual and other tools that you might need for the sharpening process so read it through carefully and see if you have everything you need.

Always Remember

Sharpening a meat slicer is a task that needs to be done from time to time but remember that it is a heavy-duty machine with a lot of power so you should always wear cut resistant gloves, check the power cord from damage before sharpening, and double-check the power before putting your fingers close to the blade.

Also, remember this order: Clean, Sharpen, Clean, Sanitize, and everything will be hygienic and up to the code.

Now that you have everything you need, we can go through this process more in-depth!

Let’s start sharpening!

How To Sharpen A Commercial Meat Slicer

Step 1

Turn off the power and unplug your deli slicer, also make sure that the power cord isn’t damaged in any way, and double-check that your meat slicer is firmly and safely on the countertop.

Step 2

Remove the carriage and clean it properly. Make sure that there aren’t any food leftovers or grease.

Step 3

Clean the blade with soft washcloths and dry it fully afterward. Make sure that there isn’t any grease on the blade because it will worsen the sharpening effect. After that add a small amount of lubrication oil to the blade.

Step 4

Now you are ready for sharpening so place the sharpening stones to the sharpener, read your instruction manual to make sure that it’s done right. Make sure that the sharpening stones are locked properly and everything is tightly installed, then plug the power.

Step 5

Turn on the power and let the sharpening stones do their thing. Again, check your specific model’s instruction manual on how long should it let sharpen. Usually, the time is between 10-30 seconds.

Step 6

After sharpening turn off the power and unplug the sharpener once again. Now remove the sharpening stones and reassemble the sharpener as it was before.

Step 7

Clean the blade with soft washcloths, warm water, and a mild cleaner to make sure that metal dust is wiped away. After that, you can wipe it again with the sanitizer.

Steep 8

Let the machine dry and you are now done. You should do a test to check that everything is assembled correctly so turn on the power and see if everything is running fine.

You should also check out this helpful video below that will help you even more visually.

In addition to sharpening, there are more questions that might remain and I have answered the most common ones below, educate yourself and make sure that your meat slicer will be in top-notch condition for years to come!

How Often To Sharpen A Meat Slicer Blade

I contacted Webstaurant and asked the question and they suggest that a meat slicer should be sharpened every two weeks however, the answer varies a lot with different people where others are constantly using one versus someone that uses a meat slicer once a week.

In short, examine the quality of the sliced ingredient and if it isn’t clean-cut, then it is time to sharpen. Take note that oversharpening will reduce the life of your appliance so only sharpen when it is necessary. You can also use paper to test how sharp the blade is and if the paper is cut with ease, you still have slicing left to do before sharpening.

What Should You Do After Using A Meat Slicer

After using a meat slicer always clean it with soft washcloths, warm water, and a mild degenerate. Also, wipe down the exterior from grease and food parts.

After cleaning the meat slicer sanitize it with a food-grade sanitizer and wipe it again with a clean washcloth.

This part isn’t required after every use but it’s good to regularly spread food grade lubricant to the blade that will nurture and keep it in good condition much longer.

How Often Should A Meat Slicer Be Cleaned

Meat slicer should be cleaned after every single use with proper cleaners and a soft washcloth. Also, if the meat slicer hasn’t been used in a while and it has attracted dust it should be cleaned before use.

Conclusion

Now you have everything you need to sharpen a meat slicer safely and properly, and the knowledge on how to keep it clean and in good condition for longer.

Meat slicers truly are super handy in any commercial kitchen and I’m personally very fond of them and like every other appliance, they require good care and a proper way of usage.